Check car insurance adequacy

Friday

Feb 15, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Turns out a lot of the damage done to cars in this country isn't from colliding with another automobile. Two-car accidents make up less than half of all incidents, according to an analysis by CarInsurance.com, which provides insurance advice and online quote comparisons.

Michelle Singletary

Turns out a lot of the damage done to cars in this country isn't from colliding with another automobile. Two-car accidents make up less than half of all incidents, according to an analysis by CarInsurance.com, which provides insurance advice and online quote comparisons.

CarInsurance.com looked at data submitted by more than 42,000 car insurance shoppers. As shoppers compared rates for liability, comprehensive and collision policies, they reported their previous accidents. From that data, the website compiled its top "hit" list.

"We buy auto insurance because we envision two cars careening toward each other and screeching brakes," CarInsurance.com Managing Editor Des Toups said. "But more than a third of all incidents involve things like a parked car, the weather, vandalism, hitting animals or road debris."

The percentage of people who struck another car or were struck was about 45 percent. But here's a breakdown for other accidents:

» Single-car accident: 7.9 percent.

» Act of nature, such as flood, hail or fallen tree: 5.8 percent.

» Struck a parked car or tree: 5.4 percent.

» Car struck while parked: 5 percent.

» Debris or other non-accident damage (such as hitting a pothole): 2.9 percent.

» Vandalism: 2.4 percent.

» Struck animal: 2.4 percent.

» Windshield or glass: 2.2 percent.

» Theft of car/theft of parts: 1.5 percent

» Hit a pedestrian: 0.4 percent

CarInsurance.com has created an interactive online tool - with crashing sound effects - so that drivers can see what type of insurance would cover six common accidents: hitting someone else's car, crashing into another car that you own or running into a tree, animal, pothole or garage door. They call it the "Crash-o-Matic." The tool compares hypothetical rates for liability, comprehensive and collision coverage on select 2013 vehicles. You can find it by going to carinsurance.com and searching for "You hit what? The Crash-o-Matic."

Comprehensives coverage reimburses you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a crash with another car or object, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. Property damage liability covers damage that you or someone driving your car with permission may cause to someone else's property.

If you buy only liability insurance, as many people do, repairs to your car will not be covered under almost all of the damage scenarios featured in the in the Crash-o-Matic tool, Toups said.

Be sure to compare rates with different insurance companies. Don't underestimate how much coverage you will need, especially if you aren't a careful driver or if you don't have savings to cover damage.

Contact Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist at The Washington Post, at singletarym@washpost.com.